For Your Sake
by thirteenth
Summary: He was ordered to live but without her. And she without him. Could a stranger bring them together after 22 years? A/U G/CC
1. Present Day

**Hi to everyone that is reading this! I didn't write this before so I thought I should write this now. This is my very first fanfic and I just wanted to let everyone reading know that I welcome all reviews! Please leave a review if you read any part if it! I want to know what you think. The good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful. Whatever you want to say, say it. In this case, write it. If you want to see something happen in the story, let me know so I can try to put it in. I hope you all like this story and I hope that you don't get bored since I started it off so slow! Keep reading! Please! One more thing! Later on in this story, when I write a bulk of the story in italics, it means its part of the flashback. I just wanted to clear that. That's it! I hope you enjoy it! And keep reading! It's going to get more interesting and I'm going to clarify a lot of things that you might have been wondering. Thank you!**

As she walked in, she heard guards snickering behind her. She felt their eyes on her. They didn't believe in her but she believed in herself. That was all she needed. She continued walking down the corridor, following the guard in front of her. This was taking forever. As she passed by the prisoners in the cells, she heard the taunts. She gave them no mind. She was deep in her thoughts, thinking about her mission in life. It didn't mean anything to them, but to her, it was the next step. It wasn't just for her, it was for females everywhere. It was to empower them, to inspire them. She was only one person, but she knew she could do a lot.

It was Shae's first case. She was nervous but confident. She could do this. She knew that she was assigned this specific case for a reason; to intimidate her, to make her quit before she started. She knew that even an experienced lawyer with many wins at hand would stay away from this one. But what could she do. She wasn't a quitter. However, this fact just added fuel to her fire. If those old lawyers couldn't do it and she could, it would wonders for her mission: women empowerment.

She wanted all the women everywhere, present and future, to know that they could do whatever they wanted. She wanted to prove that they didn't have to submit to society's definition of a woman. There's a whole world out there for them and they could have it all if they wanted it. She wanted to show them that. This was her life's mission. And it all rested in this 22 year old on-going case that everyone had given up on. But not Shae. It rested in prisoner 786's hands. It was up to him to help her. But most of all, it was up to him to help himself.

When Shae first read the case, it saddened her. How could someone be accused of such a thing and not even defend himself? There had to be more to it. This case was very one-sided and to get the other side, she had to hear prisoner 786's story. She had heard that 786 had not talked to anyone in the last 22 years. No one knew his story or who he really was. This intrigued Shae. There had to be something this man was guarding. A secret? But why? Was it more important than his life, his freedom? What could be that important? It could be a possibility that he _was_ what he was accused of being. Of course, she wouldn't know for sure until she talked to him, until she listened to his story. It was going to be hard getting anything out of him. He had not talked to anyone in years. He didn't trust anyone. This was a challenge and Shae was up to it.

"You know, you might as well turn around and go back home."

Shae's thoughts were interrupted. She looked up. The guard she was following continued talking while they walked.

"There isn't anything you could get out of this guy. I'm saying this for your own good. Don't waste your time." He laughed. Shae knew that he was taunting her, trying to bring her down. He continued, "This man has been here for 22 years and yet no one has heard a single word from him. Maybe he's happy to be here. No fighting, no trouble, no nothing. Maybe he doesn't even want to be free."

Shae knew that explaining anything to any of these guards would be hopeless. Nevertheless, she snapped at him. "Everyone is born with the right to be free. And it's my job to ensure that. You do your job and I'll do mine." He gave her a look that Shae wanted to slap off his face. He then said, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

They continued walking, taking various turns until they finally reached prisoner number 786's jail cell. The guard yelled to 786. "Hey! 786! The lawyer is here to meet you. Hurry up and find your lost voice and say what you want." The guard took out his keys and started to unlock the cell to let Shae in. She had requested to talk to 786 alone. The guard opened the door and let her in. "There are other guards here to keep an eye on you," he said to her. "You have an hour to talk to this loser until you need to leave. Do you what you have to." With that, the guard closed the cell door and left.

Shae watched him walk away. Then she turned around and saw 786 slumped in a corner. She was nervous to talk to him. She wasn't scared, although she should have been since she was alone with a prisoner. Of all the things she was feeling, scared wasn't one of them. She should've, but didn't know why she wasn't.

Shae approached him. She cleared her throat. "Hello?"

No response.

She tried again.

"Hi. I'm your lawyer. I'm going to try to get you out of here."

Still no response.

Shae wasn't giving up. There wasn't a person alive that did not want freedom. So why was this man different? Would he rather be in a prison cell than outside free? Was he hiding from something? Someone? Didn't he want to go home to his family? Did he even have a family? Shae was getting restless and wanted her questions answered.

"Okaaaaaay. Let's start with names. My name is Shae. What's your name?" Silence. Shae continued. "Do you want me to call you by your prison number like the others do? 786? C'mon. Your name can't be that bad."

The quiet seemed to engulf Shae. He wouldn't answer.

"Hello! I've heard you been quiet for the last 22 years. It's your time to talk. Now. I want to help you. You need to have your story heard."

No movement. Nothing.

Then she said something that she knew would get his attention. Something that he had not heard in years; had not been called in years. She walked over to where he was sitting in the corner. He was looking down and away from her. She kneeled down to his level where he was sitting. His face was hidden.

"Son Goku."

Shae stared intently at his lifeless looking form. Moments went by. It felt like forever. Slowly, Son Goku lifted his head. He looked at her. His face didn't show any emotion. But Shae could see it in his eyes. They were confused, surprised, and full of questions.

And in that moment she knew he was Son Goku and no other. He was innocent.


	2. The Meeting

Shae continued to look at Son Goku. He had an old dull looking blanket draped over him and his hair was messy and in his face. His clothes were old and torn. His face was covered in ash and he looked pale, as if he had not been in the sun in many years which Shae did not doubt.

Even thought Shae could not get over the fact that she got a response out of Son Goku, she could not bring herself to talk, afraid that she would cry. Looking at Son Goku's face she could tell that 22 years ago, this man was full of spirit, full of happiness, and full of nonstop fun. Seeing a spirit like that, broken, was heart wrenching for Shae. Whatever broke his spirit had brought him into seclusion, into silence, and into loneliness.

Shae had to get a hold of her emotions. She wanted to talk to him. Besides, she didn't have much time to begin with.

"Son Goku," she said again, as he continued to look at her, almost as if looking through her, recalling old memories.

Shae did not know where to begin. "That is your name, isn't it? Son Goku?" she asked him. "Tell me. Is it?" He continued staring at nothing. Again, there was silence. Shae waited. She didn't have time but she had to be patient. It was the only thing she could do. She knew that she would have to earn Son Goku's trust. This was the only way.

Son Goku brought his gaze back to Shae and nodded, almost reluctantly. But Shae could see eagerness there. Eager to be recognized. Finally. She wanted to let him know that everything would be ok. "I will get you out of here," she said to him. He looked away. Shae kept talking. "My name is Shae Eda. I'm a lawyer. I'm _your_ lawyer. And I won't give up on you." She paused. "Please trust me. I won't give up. Because I know _you_ haven't."

Silence.

Nothing.

Shae stood up and walked away from him. This was tough. She wanted to help Son Goku but it seemed that he did not want any of her help.

"I know you can talk," she said to him, "I want you to talk to me." The quietness was getting to her. Son Goku still wouldn't answer. "Tell me what's wrong; tell me the real reason why you're here. Tell me your secret." Shae knew that she was being a bit too pushy but she was getting frustrated. Maybe if she was open and honest with him, he would start talking. So Shae tried.

"Listen, I don't know why you don't want your freedom. But please understand that your freedom means everything to me. It means a lot to me. And to every little girl out there. My dad, before he died, he was also a lawyer. He fought for women's rights. And I want to continue his legacy. He kept fighting for it. But his work was left unfinished. I want to continue what he left. And now, after many years of hard work, I got my first case. But as everyone says, no one can win this case. They _want_ me to lose. So that no woman can ever step into a man's world again. But I'm not about to lose. I won't fail my father and I won't fail my fellow women. I just need your help. That's it. Please talk to me. Please?"

Shae poured her soul out. She stared at Son Goku hoping for an answer. He did not even move. How was she going to get this man to talk? Then Shae thought of something she read on his case file. Part of the reason why he was in this cell.

"Well," she started, "Let's at least get something established. You're not from here, the Western Territory, are you? You're from the Eastern Territory."

Son Goku turned in her direction and nodded.

_Talk dammit!_ Shae screamed in her head. _Ok, calm down, Shae, _she thought to herself. _At least we're making progress._

"Can you tell me how you got here?" she asked him gently.

Silence. Not even a nod or a shake from his head. Shae didn't know what else to do, so she sat down across the cell from him. And the two of them sat there surrounded by silence. Shae decided to let her hour pass by waiting for Son Goku to talk to her. She hoped that he would.

Shae began humming to herself. Then, she sighed. She looked at the man across the cell. She liked his name and said it out loud.

"Son Goku."

And then she sat there in more silence. For how long, she didn't know.

"It's been awhile since I've been called that."

And just like that, Son Goku had spoken his first words in 22 years.


	3. Sweet Memories

Shae could not believe her ears. Did Son Goku just talk? Did he?"How did you know my name? My real name?" he asked her.

He did talk. She knew it!

"Ummmmm." Now Shae was the one who didn't talk. She couldn't because she was speechless. She was too overjoyed that this man talked to her.

She found her voice. "I did some research."

Son Goku smiled at her. "That must have been some intense research."

"Yeh, it was," Shae admitted. She smiled back at him. However, she turned serious. There was business to get down to. "But I still don't know why you're here. Why they say your name is Jensen Dai. And most importantly, why you haven't stood up for yourself." So many questions. Shae knew that there had to be some rough history and a heart breaking story to this man's past. Whatever it was, she was interested. But Son Goku had quieted once again.

_Oh no, _she thought._ I'm being too pushy. He's not talking! Don't panic. Remember, nice and slow is the key._

Shae was getting tired of this. But she understood. She looked at Son Goku tentatively. He looked like he was thinking profoundly about his past. She didn't want to interrupt his thoughts. Things were quiet once again.

_Maybe he really doesn't want to talk about it. He really, really doesn't,_ she thought sadly_. Now I know for myself why this is such a hopeless case._

She wanted to hug Son Goku and tell him that everything was alright, that he was no longer alone, that he could open up to her without doubting her. She was always the one that couldn't bear to see anybody down. She was sympathetic and genuinely wanted to listen to his story so he could get it off his chest and feel better. Shae wanted to take his pain away. One person couldn't possibly keep that entire burden to himself.

A single tear ran down her face. Shae looked at Son Goku one last time before she opened the cell door to leave. She couldn't do anything if he didn't want to talk to her. It seemed to her that he didn't want her there and just wanted to be alone. She walked away from him. It was completely silent except for the plane that was passing by above them.

"That's an F22 Raptor going at 500 miles per hour. "

He had started talking again! Shae turned around fast. He looked at her.

"When I was in the Air Force, every little thing about planes would interest me." Shae immediately dug in her bag and took out a tape recorder while Son Goku was talking. She didn't want to miss a thing. "I used to love being in the air. I was a recue pilot. I would save people's lives. My father used to do the same. He died saving people while he was in the army. I think that's where I got my inspiration from. But the air force was my passion, it was my life. Most of all, I loved the risk. I dedicated my whole life to the Eastern Territory Air Force. I was a rescue pilot. That was me and my life. I loved it and I loved saving people. Because flying in the sky was a childhood dream. I was alone and every moment I would life to the fullest. And I remember thinking that there couldn't be anything better than this. But little did I know that my life was about to change. All because of one girl."

Shae was watching Son Goku intently and listening to his story attentively. She was soaking it all up. She noticed that a nostalgic look came across his face. He continued on.

"I remember that day perfectly. It was a regular day. I was on a rescue mission with my partner Haru. He would fly the helicopter while I would go down and bring the casualties up. That day, there was an accident. A bus had fallen off the highway and down onto a mountain. Luckily, no was seriously hurt. I just had to get down there and bring up the people up. I had gotten everyone and was on my way down to bring the last casualty up. It was a girl. I secured her firmly on to me while I held onto her and the ladder. I told Haru, through my transmitter, to pull us up. He started pulling the ladder up. Then I looked at her..."

Son Goku stopped talking. He was looking into the distance with a smile on his face. It was a pleasant memory that he was recalling. It was one of the more amusing ones that he had and was more than joyful to share it with someone else.

"It wasn't that she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen... although she was. But I don't know why. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Her eyes were lowered... and she breathing heavily. She was very scared. A strand of hair was bothering her right eye. She was trying to flip it out of the way but the wind was blowing very fast and the hair stayed there."

Son Goku would pause momentarily now and again to appreciate the memory.

"I lifted my hand from her waist to move the hair. She looked at me in fear. We had looked at each other for the first time. She kept staring at me... terrified. Then, slowly, she lowered her gaze. But... I kept on staring at her... But then, I stopped. My gaze was broken."

It seemed to Shae that while he was telling her his story, he was transported back to the day this incident had occurred. It was the first time he was telling anybody and she was more than grateful he was telling it to her. It appeared to her that Son Goku was happy to be sharing with her as well. Shae became caught up in his story and also believed that she was there that day.

"She lost grasp of the bag she was holding." Son Goku continued his story.

_Goku looked down as he saw the bag fall down to where the toppled bus was. It was a long fall down._

_The girl let out a shriek as her eyes followed the bag down._

"_Stop! Stop! Stop!! STOP!!!!" she screamed in Goku's ear. The girl started to move about and started to dangerously move the ladder. They were very high up in the air. It was a hazardous fall down. She was struggling against Goku's body as if she wanted him to let her go. The two of them were beginning to swing back and forth on the ladder. If this continued, they would fall. And die. Goku had to do something._

_He took out his radio transmitter. "Haru!" he yelled into it. "Stop the ladder immediately!" The ladder stopped pulling the two upward._

"_What happened?" he asked her, alarmed. He was startled by this behavior._

"_My bag fell down!" she exclaimed. She was still squirming and the ladder was still swinging back and forth._

"_Let it go! It's only a bag!" Goku told her. He had to calm her down. Otherwise, she'd take down the helicopter with them. There were other people in it as well._

"_No! I can't let it go! That bag is very precious to me!" she screamed at his face._

"_More precious than our lives??" Goku shouted back at her. He was getting nervous._

"_Yes! It is! Now could you please take me down or should I go down there myself!?!?!?!!! Get me down!! DOWN!!! NOW!! My bag!!!" She continued to twist and writhe as she looked down, looking for her bag. The ladder was now moving very rapidly back and forth. There was only one way to stop her from this behavior. "My bag!!" She was screeching very loudly in Goku's ears._

"_STOP IT!! STOP IT!!!" he yelled back at her. "Haru," he shouted into his transmitter, "Lower us down!"_

"_Goku, are you crazy??," Haru shouted back over the transmitter._

_It was a screaming match between them as Goku yelled back. "Do as I say and TAKE US DOWN!"_

_Haru followed the order and lowered the ladder. Goku stared at the girl in anger while they were being lowered. He was furious. He was enraged that someone would risk their lives and make such a commotion over a bag. A bag! That's all it was! She was endangering not only both their lives but also the lives of the rescued people in the helicopter as well as the rescue team. The girl was looking anxiously down. She hoped that her bag was safe. That's all she cared about._

_As soon as Goku's feet touched the ground, he stomped over to her bag, grabbed it, and shoved it at her. "Here!" He yelled to her. He pulled out his transmitter. "Haru! Pull us up!" As Goku and the girl were pulled up and into the helicopter, they did not even glance at each other. One was furious and in complete rage and the other just felt awkward and glad to have her bag back._

_When the helicopter arrived at headquarters with the rescued passengers, Goku's anger had cooled. Somewhat. He had some things to say to that girl and he was going to say it whether she wanted to hear it or not._

_The girl had gotten out of the helicopter and Goku followed her. He took her aside. As soon as he looked at her face, his anger returned and started shouting at her._

"_You endangered the lives of so many people. And for what? A little bag! What kind of person are you? Do you know that we risk OUR lives every day to save lives of people? People who are complete strangers, who are not related to us in any way. But still, when we go home, our hearts are full of pride. That we saved someone's mother, someone's sister, someone's brother, someone's wife. That we gave someone a new life." _

_Goku stopped his ranting and took a breath. The girl was looking down at her feet and was clutching her bag very tightly. She felt embarrassed. People were staring and she had to bear through the shame until this man had stopped lecturing her. She thought he was done but he started shouting again. _

"_But today... for the first time...EVER...I'm doubting my job. For the first time in my life, risking my life for someone else's seemed worthless. It seemed wrong. I'm sorry M'am, but what you did back there, that was a disgrace." _

_Goku looked at her and saw that she had tears in her eyes. Why was she crying? Goku asked himself in disbelief. She had this coming. With that, Goku turned around and walked away in rage. He had more important work to do and didn't want anything to do with this girl any longer. He said what he had to and left her there. The girl stood there in humiliation. She realized that he had finally left and could look up again without him shouting in her face. She looked around at the people staring at her, wiped her tears, and walked away fast._

_She knew what she had done was wrong but he didn't have to yell at her like that. Not in front of those people. She was very thankful that he had saved her life but he didn't understand why this bag was so important to her. It meant the world to her and if she didn't get it back, she would have never lived it down. If he knew what was inside, maybe he wouldn't have shouted at her. Maybe she should have told him before she started spazzing out. She sighed and told her herself to put it all behind her. She had to get back on track to what she was supposed to be doing. It didn't help that her bus fell off the highway, her bag fell into an abyss that would have been irretrievable if it wasn't for her shrieking, and had an air force rescue pilot yell at her. On top of that, she was in unknown territory. She was in the Eastern Territory. She came all the way from her home in the Western Territory alone. She continued walking in the unknown land until she saw a telephone booth. She had almost forgotten about her mom. Her mom probably had a heart attack when she found out that her little girl left. She didn't tell her mom she was going. The girl walked over to the booth and dialed her number._

_After a couple of rings somebody picked up._

"_Hello?" the person answered. It sounded like they were sobbing._

"_Maya?" the girl asked confused. Although Maya was her maid, she was also her best friend._

"_CHI CHI???" Maya screamed into the phone. "Chi Chi, are you alright??" Maya sounded overjoyed to hear Chi Chi's voice on the other line. Chi Chi heard her mother screaming and crying in the background. Just then her mother snatched the phone out of Maya's hand._

"_Chi Chi, are you ok?" Her mother was in tears._

"_Mom, I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry." Chi Chi answered. She didn't want her mom crying._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing? Do you know what I'm going through? I've been worried all day about you! I was THIS close to calling to the police until this pitiful Maya told me where you were. Just come back home now. Come right now!" Her mom was freaking out. What could she do, it was her motherly instincts. But, Chi Chi had enough of people screaming at her._

_Chi Chi kept her cool and answered her mother calmly. "But Mom, the border authority closes at 4:30." It was way past 4:30. Chi Chi took a breath and continued. "And I haven't even reached Mt. Paozu yet._

"_Oh dear God!" Her mom knew Chi Chi was really stubborn. "Why am I being punished, God? What for? What did I do? It's almost evening and...Why did you go alone?? I promised you that I would send the pot to the Eastern Territory! Didn't I??" Her mom was in hysterics. Chi Chi was used to this though._

_Chi Chi sighed and said, "I know. But I made a promise too. I promised grandma. I promised her I'd take it myself."_

_Her mom was enraged. That was it. "Chi Chi, is this some trip to the mall that you went off like that? Have you gone insane??"_

"_I'm really sorry, Mom. But even after I all the explaining I did to you before, you didn't understand. Listen to me, Mom. My whole life, I haven't done anything meaningful. And I don't think I'm going to in the future if my life continues the way it has. But after doing this...I will always be proud of myself. I'll be able to say that I did something to help someone attain relief and salvation. Mom, I've come so far. Now I'm only coming back when my work here is done. But please don't stay mad at me." It was Chi Chi's only hope of calming her mom. She wanted to do this and her mom needed to understand why._

"_OK! Fine! But, I've been crying for 10 hours! Don't make me cry any more. "Chi Chi heard her mom take a deep breath. "But...if your father comes home before you..." Her mom's sentence was left up in the air. They both knew the consequences if Chi Chi's dad found out that she was gone._

"_Don't worry, Mom." Chi Chi assured her. "Dad's coming home next week. I'm coming back tomorrow. Ok, Mom I have to go. There are people behind me that want to use the phone"_

"_Alright. But listen! Take care of yourself! And don't eat any weird food! And don't talk to strangers! And keep calling me! Ok? And don't be scared. I'm with you in spirit. Ok? Bye!" _

_Chi Chi rolled her eyes at laughed. Moms will be moms. "ALRIGHT Mom. Bye"_

_Chi Chi stepped out of the booth and noticed that it was dark. Wow, that was fast, she thought. She had to find somewhere to stay for the night. There were no more buses until the morning. Her stomach growled. I should eat first though, she thought to herself. But where? She didn't know the place at all. She decided to walk until she came across a town. _

_Finally! She was glad to have found civilization. There was a small town that she could see in the distance. She ran and encountered a girl walking in the opposite direction._

"_Hi!" Chi Chi said to her. "Could you tell me if there's any place to eat around here?"_

"_No, actually. I'm sorry."_

_The girl saw Chi Chi's cheerless face and quickly said, "But if you don't mind eating at a truck stop then you should eat at The Giant Blue." Chi Chi made an iffy face._

"_It's not that bad. I've eaten there plenty of times," the girl assured her._

"_Alright. Can you tell me where it is?" Chi Chi asked her._

"_Sure. Keep going straight until you hit the water fountain. Then take a left and keep going down. You'll see it. Trust me. It's a big, open space."_

"_Thank you so much!" Chi Chi said to the girl._

"_Glad to help," the girl answered "Bye!"_

"_Bye!"_

_Chi Chi ran off. She needed food and she wanted it now. She followed the girl's directions and sure enough, she saw the open space. It really was just giant, open space. It was an outside truck stop. Chi Chi saw the truckers and other various people. Families, kids, couples. It was a unique area. There were many camp fires built and people were sitting around them. Some people were even sleeping on the ground. Chi Chi was sure not to step on any one or disturb them as she maneuvered around them. She went to order her food._

"_Hello!" She greeted the man at the counter._

"_Hi, what would you like to eat?" he asked her._

"_Uhhhhhhhhhhhh...." Chi Chi looked at the menu. She couldn't really decide on anything that she liked. "I think...I'll have...one... whole... cheese pizza pie.... and...a...soda?...no...water...right?...yeh, water. That's it!" Chi Chi said cheerfully. _

"_Is that whole pie just for you?" asked the man in amazement. "You have quite a stomach for a young girl. Your order will be ready in 5 minutes."_

"_Thanks," Chi Chi said and waited for her order. She found a place to sit by herself where a campfire was still burning. She admired her surroundings. It wasn't that bad, the truck stop, in a weird way._

_Once she got her pizza pie, Chi Chi ate it in minutes and gulped down her water. Now her stomach was satisfied. She was content. She looked up at the dark night sky and admired the stars. She missed her grandma. But she knew her grandma would be proud of her right now. Chi Chi continued to look up at the stars until she realized she was getting drowsy and needed to find somewhere to sleep. She decided to ask the man at the counter if there were any hotels nearby. She got up and started walking towards the counter. As she was walking, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She turned to her left and looked. It was that guy! The guy who saved her life and screamed at her afterwards. He was sitting by his friends, eating and laughing. Chi Chi decided it was best that he did not see her and walked away fast._

_No, Chi Chi! She thought to herself. Go back and talk to him! Apologize for your behavior! Explain to him why you were freaking out! He should know, he saved your life!_

_But he also yelled at me, without asking why I cared so much about my bag! Chi Chi was fighting with herself._

_Fine! I'll talk to him. I'll apologize. It WAS my fault. Chi Chi groaned. Sometimes, she hated the good side of her._

_As Chi Chi trudged over to him, she hoped that he would listen to her and let her explain. She thought that he must be a nice man if he dedicated his life to saving other people. Strangers like her. Chi Chi approached him. He was talking to his friend. She didn't know his name so she didn't know how to get his attention. Fortunately for her, he looked up and saw her. His cheerful face got serious. Oh no! Chi Chi exclaimed. He's still mad. She watched him as he excused himself from his friends, got up, and walked over to where she was standing. He crossed his arms and stood in front of her, almost as if he wanted an explanation as to why she was there. He was much taller than her and she felt intimidated, especially since their first meeting did not go so well. She took a deep breath and looked up. She had to do this. _


	4. Apologies and New Beginnings

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm back and sorry it took so long to put up a new chapter. I was on vacation and then I was caught up with college work when I got back. I know, excuses, excuses lol. Thanks to those that reviewed and added this story on their favorites and alerts, as well as adding me on their author alert! I appreciate it so much! Thanks for being patient. Let's recap that whatever I have in italics is a flashback being retold as a story by Goku to Shae. This entire chapter is in italics so all of it is a flashback. If there's any confusion about anything, let me know so I can clear it up. And don't worry; there will be a lot of positive interaction between Goku and Chi Chi in the next chapter. In the meantime, enjoy, and REVIEW! **

_Goku stood with his arms crossed, looking down at the girl that almost got everyone killed earlier that day. Honestly, he wanted nothing to do with a selfish person like that. She was just another pretty face that had money to blow; someone that would rather value a designer bag than a human life. But he couldn't shake off an instinctive feeling that there was more to her than that. When he first laid eyes on her, she seemed like a gentle and kind person. However, as he discovered for himself, that was not the case. He wondered what more this girl wanted from him. She obviously wanted to talk to him about something. Hopefully apologize for her behavior._

_Chi Chi was nervous. This man had every right to be mad at her. But he judged her before he knew her story. Still, that was no excuse and that was why she was here, gathering up courage to talk to him. Chi Chi felt horrible for bringing out his anger earlier that day because he seemed like a calm and tender person, someone who would understand if he knew what was going on. Chi Chi was the type of person that did not explain her behavior to anyone. She does what she likes and if someone had a problem with it, oh well for them. But in this case, she knew she was truly wrong about what happened and here she was apologizing. She didn't know how to start but gave him a smile and started talking from her heart._

_She looked in his eyes._

"_You risk your own life to save the life of strangers. There can't be anything nobler than that. And I don't want you to stop taking pride in your work just because of me and my behavior earlier today. So that's why I'm here talking to you. I wanted to explain the way I acted they way I did."_

_Chi Chi reached into her bag, the bag that caused all this trouble, and carefully took out a pot. It wasn't a cooking pot but a handmade pot that was almost like a container. The pot was small and brown and was wrapped with a white cloth that covered the top. Chi Chi held it tenderly in her small hands._

"_These are my grandmother's ashes."_

_Goku was silent the entire time she was talking and did not move a muscle or stop staring at her, even when she took out the pot. But then what she said after she took it out made him look at the pot with curiosity in his eyes and a million thoughts and questions popped up in his mind. His look remained curious yet thoughtful and his face changed from a scowl to a look of softness._

_Chi Chi continued to talk, the words flowing out of her mouth easily because she was being sincere and honest._

"_She's not my grandma by blood but she may as well be. She spent more time raising me than my own mother did. She was an Eastern Territory woman who spent her whole life serving my family in the Western Territory and she never asked for anything in return. Just one dying wish. That her ashes be immersed in the waters of Mount Paozu like the rest of her ancestors."_

_Goku was listening intently now. He made eye contact with her and saw in her eyes that she was being genuine and open with him. He wasn't expecting to hear something that had a humane cause behind her selfish behavior._

"_This pot and the ashes inside are more important to me than anything in this world... More important than even my life."_

_She took a breath and decided to wrap things up. She didn't want to stretch things out._

"_I think maybe that you weren't happy saving my life today. But I'm sure that now since you know the reason behind my behavior, you'll be proud that you saved this pot that was in my bag."_

_Goku kept looking at her intently, allowing her to talk. He was deep in thought._

"_If you can...please forgive me. I'm sorry. I really am."_

_She gave him an affectionate smile and walked away. Goku was still standing in the same spot, in the same position. He watched her walk away and had a smile on his face too. He was contemplating whether or not to go talk to her not. He was also contemplating a lot of other things in his mind. About what she said, whether or not he should've yelled at her before knowing what was wrong. He definitely felt bad for yelling at her before. His instinct about her was right. She wasn't such a bad person after all. If only he asked before he judged. He felt like the worst person right now._

"_Hey, Goku." Goku turned around and found his friend Krillin walking up to him. "Who was that girl? And what happened?"_

_Goku sighed. "Oh, man, Krillin. Where do I begin?" Goku laughed. "C'mon, let's go eat and I'll tell you all about it!"_

_Krillin agreed, "Sure, Goku, come on."_

_Chi Chi felt as if a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders by apologizing. She was now walking to the man at the counter where she ordered her food from. She had to find a place to sleep before she hit the ground out of weariness. She was emotionally and physically drained from this day._

"_Hey," she greeted the man at the counter._

"_Hi! Still hungry?" he asked her._

"_No," she laughed, "but I AM dead tired. Is there a hotel, motel, Holiday Inn nearby? Anywhere where I can spend the night?"_

"_Actually, if you don't want to travel too far, you can stay here if you like. We have rooms available here. Or if you want, you can camp outside like the people you see here. We're kind of like a motel, restaurant, truck stop, and camping ground all in one."_

"_Oh!" said Chi Chi, "that's very convenient! I'll take you up on the offer as long I as get a room. I really don't want to sleep out in the open by myself."_

"_Alright," he replied, "Here is the key to room number 21. Do you wanna pay now or when you check out?"_

_Chi Chi took her key and said, "I'll pay now," and gave him her credit card. After the transaction was complete, Chi Chi went to her room and immediately fell on the bed. She was completely exhausted and needed her strength on the rest of her journey which started really early tomorrow._

_When Chi Chi woke up the next morning, she felt mentally fresh and ready for the journey that lay ahead of her that day. She woke up early, earlier than she had ever woken up in her life, to get a head start. If she messed up, she had more time to fix her mistakes in the day than in the evening or night time. Hopefully, she wouldn't make a hot mess of this situation. For once, she wanted to do things the right way._

_Chi Chi headed out and back in the direction she came from last night. She walked back to the border where she would catch the bus to set her in the direction she needed to go. This was going to be so difficult; she didn't know anything at all about this land. Not the customs, not the people, not the geography. She didn't know what the hell she was doing. Especially all alone. Why was she so stupid? She should've at least brought a friend along. It would've made her feel less lonely. _

_Chi Chi got to the border and asked some army men that guarded the border about the buses. They told her that she would have to take multiple buses to get to Mount Paozu because that was at least 4 hours from here and no single bus made a journey that far. She would have to keep transferring. It would take her all day. They instructed her on what buses to take and where to take them and Chi Chi made sure to write it all down. She did not want to get on a wrong bus; she would end up lost forever. They also told her that she needed to buy a ticket to get on the bus. After hearing all this information, Chi Chi was extremely nervous. She REALLY did not want to get lost or get hurt. But she was a bold and courageous girl, she could do this. _

_You can do it, Chi Chi, she said to herself. You'll be so proud when you get back home. It'll be the best thing that you've ever done._

_Chi Chi thanked the army officers. They were tremendously helpful and ready to lend a hand. She went off to buy the bus ticket. Her bus wasn't here yet so she waited with a crowd of people at the bus stop. There were multiple different buses that stopped here and Chi Chi was amazed at how many people were there. Some buses were already there with people already boarded and ready to leave. Some buses were being boarded at the moment. She had never taken public transportation before yesterday and didn't have the most enjoyable experience with it, considering that her bus fell off a mountain. But this bus stop fascinated her. Maybe because it made her feel normal and not so different from other people._

_Chi Chi's thought were interrupted when she saw her bus pull up. Number 138. That was the one she needed to take first. The bus didn't even make a full stop but people were already running towards it and crowding it. It was a huge crowd of 30 or so people. It was going to be really jam-packed. It didn't help that the bus that was pulling up was already half full. The conductor of the bus got off. He was immediately mobbed by people shoving their tickets in his face. They really wanted to get a seat._

"_Alright, people! One by one! Who has a ticket?" he shouted._

_Chi Chi tried to move through the crowd to get to the front. It was no use when everybody was doing th same thing. She tried to get the conductor's attention._

"_Mister! Hey mister! I have a ticket! Look, I have a ticket!"_

_The conductor couldn't hear her over all the commotion that everybody was making. He was too busy taking tickets. Nevertheless, Chi Chi kept shouting. She even started jumping so the conductor would see her. All of her uproar didn't catch the attention of the conductor. However, it did get the attention of Goku. _

_He was sitting comfortably in a nearby bus. Fortunately for him, his wasn't as crowded. Nowhere near it. He was sitting and whistling to himself happily. He considered himself lucky for not being on that other bus. Goku looked over at the throng people through his window and looked back. But then he did a double take. He squinted and looked carefully at the people that were crowding bus number 138. It couldn't be._

"_Ladies first! No pushing!" He heard the conductor say._

_But it was. It was that girl. He took another look. It was definitely her. He sighed and then smiled. It was like she was stalking him wherever he went. He didn't even know her name. So he just called her the crazy girl with a good heart in his head. She was jumping and shouting, trying to make her way in toward the bus. But she was unsuccessful. _

"_Easy, people! No pushing! Ok, that's it. There's no more room for anymore!" the conductor shouted._

_Chi Chi finally pushed to the front of the crowd._

"_But I have a ticket! I bought a ticket! I have a right to be on that bus! I PAID MONEY!"_

_Chi Chi was in the conductor's face. Her mind was set on being on the bus. It didn't matter how overcrowded it was. She would sit on someone if she had to._

"_Miss, everyone here bought a ticket. I'm sorry but its first come, first served," the conductor answered._

_Chi Chi was disheartened. But she WAS here first._

"_But you don't understand! I need to be on this bus!"_

"_You know what, stop delaying me and get in. We have a schedule to keep to."_

"_But...where can I...sit?"_

"_I'm telling you right now, if you really, REALLY need THIS bus, then the last option for you is to go on up. And don't complain"_

"_Go on up?" she asked, confused. _

"_Yes. With the rest that really, REALLY need THIS bus."_

"_But what does that even mean?"_

"_Sit on the roof of the bus. There are other people there. But it's not AS crowded as it is down here. Not a lot of people like to sit up there."_

"_But, won't I...fall off?"_

"_Unless you decide to dance on top of the bus. Trust me, it's pretty safe. There are railings to hold on to and keep you in."_

"_UGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH! FINE!"_

_Chi Chi had a schedule to keep to as well and didn't want to wait around for next bus that would probably be just as crowded. She found it humiliating and decided if this was what normal was, then she didn't want to be normal anymore. She reluctantly climbed up the ladder and took a seat while mumbling and cursing to herself. She took a look around to see who she was surrounded with. Mostly everyone there was a creeper. Dear, God, why did you have to make every day of my journey so unbearable? she asked silently. Chi Chi was angry that she was being subjected to this. She always had first class everything and liked it that way. She clutched onto her bag in her lap. You're doing the right thing, she thought to herself. But it wasn't helping that a creepy old man that took a seat next to her was shamelessly straight up staring at her. Chi Chi tried so hard to ignore him but it wasn't working. She turned her head sharply in the old guy's direction to tell him off but she decided not, seeing that it was going to instigate the creeper further. She turned her head back and looked straight ahead, jaw clenched._

"_Hey, old man! Move over!"_

_Chi Chi looked up and saw that the man who had saved her life was addressing the old guy sitting next her. What was he doing here? Chi Chi was surprised to see him here._

"_Why should I?" retorted the old man, not shifting his gaze from Chi Chi._

"_Why? Because I'd like to sit next to my wife." _

_Chi Chi didn't know his name. She should've asked yesterday but she didn't have the opportune moment. The only way she addressed him in her mind was the hunky guy that saved her life that she pissed off. Right now she was thankful that he was saving her again but this time from a weirdo. _

_The old guy wasn't moving._

"_Move unless you want a broken face," said the guy who was on Chi Chi's side._

"_Sir, I was just moving."_

_The old man moved and Chi Chi's savior took his seat laughing, watching the old man try to find some other seat far away from him. Chi Chi looked at the man next to her, and then looked down. It was going to be even awkward with him sitting next to her the entire journey. First of all, he was really good looking. She was never comfortable with good looking guys; she was always tongue-tied. Second, she had seriously pissed him off before and there was still some tension there on her part. He looked at her, still smiling. He felt her nervousness and tried to break the ice._

"_Um, you're probably wondering what I'm doing here, right?" he asked._

_He pointed straight ahead._

"_Do you see that bus over there? I should've been on that bus, not this one. I even took a seat, all ready to go. But then I saw you and noticed how graciously you took this seat up here." He chuckled. _

_Sarcastic was he, Chi Chi thought. She pressed her lips together. Don't say anything. She was afraid she'd yell something inappropriate and she really didn't want to seem like any more of a bitch. But still!_

_He continued talking. "And then I thought that either, one, you're really brave or two, you're really stupid to go on this long journey all by yourself."_

_Chi Chi was still looking down and she smiled. I guess he's right, she thought. He continued on talking._

"_And I ALSO thought that even though I'll get home safe and comfortable, for my entire journey home, maybe even my entire life," he considered, with a tilt of his head, "I'd be bothered by whether or not that crazy Western Territory girl reached her destination safe and sound."_

_He gave a little laugh and Chi Chi smiled again. He wasn't so bad._

"_So...don't think that I'm here to help you out."_

_Ok, maybe he was bad. She looked at him out of the corner of her eyes and glared at him._

"_I'm just here so that I won't be bothered for the rest of my life by wondering if you got your work done or not."_

_Chi Chi decided to stop being so angry at the world and see things his way. She decided that he had accepted her apology and forgiven her for her behavior. He must have understood her situation. After all, why would he be talking to her? He had a sense of humor and seemed light hearted. She liked people like that. Besides, she had a sense of humor too but lately she hadn't been too happy with her life. He was making her realize that she couldn't take life too seriously. She needed to enjoy herself. Besides, he was giving her company. She really needed that right now especially in unfamiliar surroundings. Maybe he even cared. Chi Chi got happy inside._

"_Thank you," she said to him kindly. She really did appreciate his support and understanding._

_He smiled at her._

"_Oh, by the way, I'm Son Goku," he told her._

_She looked at him. She finally got his name._

"_I'm Chi Chi," she replied._

"_Nice to finally know your name."_

_Chi Chi laughed. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?"_

"_So, Chi Chi, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into," Goku said._

"_Yeah, no. I don't know what the hell I'm doing exactly but here, look" Chi Chi pulled out the directions and information she had written down that the army guards told her._

_Goku took a quick look and gave a long whistle. "That looks really stressful. All that bus changing."_

"_It is, but I figured that if I stay on schedule and waste no time, then I can get this done fast and over with fast," Chi Chi replied. "That's why I'm up so early."_

_Goku looked at her incredulously. "And how does stressing yourself by staying on schedule seem any less hectic to you? How are you gonna enjoy the journey?"_

"_Well, it would get me home in time. My mom's kinda uptight about that. And I'll find some way to enjoy it. Maybe stop at a park or something."_

"_A park? Is that what you do when you go sightseeing? Stop at a park?" Goku asked in disbelief._

"_Well I don't have a lot of time," Chi Chi replied._

"_You'll have plenty of time between your buses!" Goku told her. "You'll have such long breaks in between transfers!"_

_Chi Chi thought about what Goku was saying. Well, he was right._

"_But I don't know anything about the Eastern Territory. I'm afraid if I stop anywhere or miss a bus, I'll be lost forever!"_

_Goku laughed and said, "Hey, don't worry about that! You're with me now! I'll show you around. I promise I won't let you get lost."_

"_Really?" Chi Chi asked cheerfully. He was a lot more kind hearted than she thought. "Wow, Goku, why are you so nice?"_

"_If you're on a journey, you might as well enjoy it and get some fun out of it! You never know when you might have this chance ever again," he answered._

"_Yeah, I might never get this chance again," Chi Chi said aloud. _

_The Eastern and Western Territories were not on the best of terms and it was getting harder and harder to go from one to the other. There was constant warfare. And Chi Chi always wanted to know how different this territory was from hers. Besides, her dad never really let her go by herself anywhere like a large country. She also kind of wanted to make an expedition by herself, to see how she could handle things without her family and advisors. She wanted freedom and independence from being tied down to responsibilities that came with being a princess. She would make her own decisions._

"_You know what, Goku? Show me everything, ok? Everything worth seeing. Even the little things. I wanna know what it means to be from the Eastern Territory, ok?" she asked him._

"_That's the spirit!" he said joyfully. "Take pleasure in life. You won't regret it."_

_Chi Chi grinned. It felt good to have someone with her. Someone that was positive and knew what to do. The bus had started on its journey and Chi Chi was on her way. She was more than exceedingly excited now. She would be living one of her dreams while carrying out her grandma's last wish. It was a win-win situation. More importantly, it was because of the man sitting next to her. She didn't know what she did in her life to deserve his kindness, especially kindness towards a complete stranger, but she was thankful. Little did she know that this trip and this man would change her life forever. Nothing would ever be the same._


End file.
